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Georgia health care had more than its share of drama and surprises in 2013. Some of the big stories were linked to the Affordable Care Act. This far-reaching federal law, passed in early 2010, was still generating changes and attracting controversy as if it were brand new. But the ACA wasn’t the only hot topic in Georgia health. Issues ranged from drug scares to complex policy disputes and funding battles.

If you missed the deadline, the extended deadline and even the grace period to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, you may be surprised to learn that you still have time to enroll in coverage. The federal government extended the original enrollment deadline from Dec. 15 to Dec. 23 and then even added an extra 24 hour window for consumers to sign up on Dec. 24.

Jonathan Gruber views health care reform from a unique vantage point. Gruber, an MIT economics professor, was a principal architect of the Massachusetts reform law. And he was a key adviser to the Obama administration in its crafting of the Affordable Care Act.

Nearly a year after it was supposed to take effect, the physician pay hike for Medicaid services still hasn’t been fully implemented in Georgia and other states. The delays have come in states, including Georgia, that use managed care in their Medicaid programs, a physicians organization says.

A group of five Republican Georgia state legislators unveiled bills Monday that would forbid state agencies from helping to implement the federal Affordable Care Act. The two separate bills – also co-sponsored by Rep. David Stover (R-Newnan), Rep. Scot Turner (R-Holly Springs) and Rep. Kevin Cooke (R-Carrollton) – are based on model legislation drafted by the Tenth Amendment Center, a libertarian think tank in Los Angeles.

Three in four Georgians say they’re satisfied with the overall value of their health care, according to a new poll released Thursday. But Georgians show concerns about the effects of the Affordable Care Act, said the poll of 400 residents, released by Healthcare Georgia Foundation.

The number of Georgians signing up for a health plan through the Affordable Care Act insurance exchange increased to 6,859 by the end of last month, up from 1,390 as of Nov. 2, federal officials announced Wednesday. The rise in enrollees reflects, in part, a better-functioning federal website, which has been plagued with problems since ACA enrollment began Oct. 1.

Calculating the cost to taxpayers, a new study released Thursday says Georgia could see a net loss of $2.9 billion in the year 2022 if it continues to reject Medicaid expansion. That’s because Georgia taxpayers would be paying for expansion of Medicaid in other states, while not getting anything in return, said the Commonwealth Fund study. Additional federal funds go to states that expand Medicaid.

New efforts to improve care coordination among hospitals, nursing homes and other providers are succeeding in reducing readmission rates, experts say. Georgia’s nursing homes and hospitals are collaborating more than ever to reduce readmissions, say officials with Georgia’s Quality Improvement Organization , a state-based group funded by Medicare to review medical care.